By Michael Lanza
It appears a idiot’s wager to guess what number of mountain lakes exist within the Excessive Sierra, the vary that reaches heights over 14,000 toes and spans some 200 miles by japanese California from Lake Tahoe to south of Sequoia Nationwide Park, together with Yosemite and Kings Canyon nationwide parks and a number of other nationwide forest wilderness areas. Some estimates place the variety of named glacial lakes at round a thousand—however that omits the constellation of lakes and tarns recognized by their elevation solely or that stay fully nameless. It’s a protected guess the overall reaches into the 1000’s.
Backpack nearly anyplace within the Excessive Sierra—which includes one of many largest contiguous blocks of wilderness within the Decrease 48—and also you’re certain to cross by numerous shimmering, watery gems and pitch a tent close to among the prettiest you’ve ever seen. This story shares photos of most of the best I’ve seen on quite a few backpacking journeys all around the Excessive Sierra, in the entire parks, the key wilderness areas, and on the John Muir Path over the previous three-plus many years, together with the ten years I spent as Northwest Editor of Backpacker journal and even longer running this blog.
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I’m a giant fan of different American mountain ranges which can be speckled with lovely lakes, such because the Wind River Range, the Tetons, the Cascades (particularly the North Cascades), and Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. See my tales “Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites” and “Photo Gallery: 36 Gorgeous Backcountry Lakes.” Nonetheless, nearly none examine with the Excessive Sierra for sheer numbers of freshwater our bodies or the splendor of the “Vary of Gentle.”
The picture gallery beneath contains some well-known lakes and others which can be distant and obscure; you will have by no means heard of a few of them. All are solely reached by mountaineering or driving a horse for miles into the wilderness. Click on on the gallery to open it and use proper and left arrow keys to scroll by it. Scroll previous the gallery for hyperlinks to tales in regards to the Excessive Sierra at The Large Exterior.
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See all tales at The Large Exterior about backpacking within the High Sierra, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon nationwide parks, within the John Muir and Ansel Adams wildernesses, and on the John Muir Trail.
I’ve helped many readers plan an unforgettable backpacking journey within the Excessive Sierra, together with the John Muir Path, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon nationwide parks and the nationwide forest wilderness areas. Need my assist with yours? See my Custom Trip Planning page to be taught extra.
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